According to the World Health Organization, the overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. That’s why this year’s theme is ‘It is Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace’.
The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.
This Year’s Theme: ‘It is Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace’
The Global Campaign 2024 and its initiatives are based on this year’s official theme for World Mental Health Day – ‘It is Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace’. This theme underscores the critical importance of mental health in professional settings, aligning with the founding principles of WFMH established in 1948.
The campaign is dedicated to advocating for mental health within the workplace. The objective is to engage a global audience in grassroots advocacy to promote mental well-being at work. They aim to highlight the essential role of mental health in professional environments.
Through a variety of global events and digital initiatives, the campaign will showcase diverse creative expressions and raise awareness about the significance of mental health in professional settings. We found this post from Happy Box & Growing Mindset Therapy about mental health at work:
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Some Facts About Mental Health in the Workplace
At work, risks to mental health, also called psychosocial risks, may be related to job content or work schedule, specific characteristics of the workplace, or opportunities for career development among other things.
- Decent work is good for mental health.
- Poor working environments – including discrimination and inequality, excessive workloads, low job control, and job insecurity – pose a risk to mental health.
- 15% of working-age adults were estimated to have a mental disorder in 2019.
- Globally, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety at a cost of US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity.
- There are effective actions to prevent mental health risks at work, protect and promote mental health at work, and support workers with mental health conditions.
Employers To-Do-List
Employers should offer reasonable accommodations to support workers with mental health conditions, such as:
- Flexible working hours.
- Extra time to complete tasks.
- Regular, supportive check-ins with supervisors.
- Assist people living with mental health conditions to return to work after an absence.
Decent work and healthy working environments can protect our mental health and well-being. With so much of the day spent at work, it’s crucial that work promotes and protects mental health.
Protecting and promoting mental health at work is about strengthening capacities to recognize and act on mental health conditions at work, particularly for persons responsible for the supervision of others, such as managers.
To protect mental health, WHO recommends:
- Manager training for mental health, which helps managers recognize and respond to supervisees experiencing emotional distress; builds interpersonal skills like open communication and active listening; and fosters better understanding of how job stressors affect mental health and can be managed.
- Training for workers in mental health literacy and awareness, to improve knowledge of mental health and reduce stigma against mental health conditions at work; and
- Interventions for individuals to build skills to manage stress and reduce mental health symptoms, including psychosocial interventions and opportunities for leisure-based physical activity.
Conclusion
Let’s use this day to reflect on how our work affects our mental health. Taking care of our emotional and mental well-being is essential. We must understand that without mental health, there is no productivity. That’s why, on this important day, we invite you to ask yourself: Am I taking care of my mental health? And that of my coworkers?
At The Better Normal, we always value the sense of community. We are nothing without each other. Every part of society is essential, and if one is missing, everything falls apart. That’s why we must commit to actively contributing to making this world a kinder and more empathetic place.
Let’s pay attention to mental health. Let’s start conversations. Let’s be brave enough to open up dialogue. Let’s ask uncomfortable questions—those lead to the best conversations! Listen, listen, listen. And always, without judgment 🙂